Eleo dusted himself off, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "So, what now?"
Tony adjusted his monocle and crossed his arms. "Well, we could train for a while."
Eleo's ears perked up. "Oh? Fighting?" He grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest. "Yeah, I'm always up for a fight!"
Tony chuckled. "I figured as much. Follow me."
The two walked out of the cave and into an open field under the night sky. The grass swayed gently in the wind, and the distant hum of nocturnal creatures filled the air. Tony turned to face Eleo, rolling his bony shoulders. "Alright, kid. Show me what you've got."
Eleo hopped left and right on his feet, shadowboxing the air. "You asked for it! Here goes!"
With a burst of speed, Eleo dashed forward, his right fist cocked back.
BAM!
Fist met fist, a shockwave rippling through the air as the two clashed in the center of the field. Eleo pushed forward, grinning, but Tony barely budged. His bony knuckles remained locked against Eleo's, unwavering.
"Not bad," Tony remarked.
Eleo wasted no time—he twisted his body, swinging his left fist toward Tony's ribs.
But Tony was faster.
He leaned back just enough to let the punch graze his suit before his skeletal hand snatched Eleo's wrist. In one fluid motion, he spun, using Eleo's own momentum to hurl him over his shoulder.
WHAM!
Eleo crashed into the dirt, but he bounced, flipping in midair. "Nice try!" he yelled, twisting his body as he launched himself back at Tony.
Tony watched calmly as Eleo shot upward.
"Ink Barrage!" Eleo roared.
From his fists, black ink streaked across the night sky as he unleashed a storm of rapid punches. Each strike left a glowing trail, dozens of inky fists raining down toward Tony like a meteor shower.
But Tony moved like the wind.
Sidestep. Weave. Pivot. Duck.
With elegant precision, he dodged every single attack, his suit untouched. His movements were effortless, his agility almost unnatural.
Eleo landed—or rather, flopped onto the ground. "Ow." He groaned, rubbing his head before springing up.
Tony smirked. "So, you do have powers."
"Yup!" Eleo grinned, shaking off the pain. "I got them from a Soul Orb!"
Tony's sockets widened slightly. "A Soul User? Well, that's a first."
Eleo puffed out his chest. "And a strong one, too!"
Tony chuckled, adjusting his cufflinks. "We'll see about that, kid." He raised his fists, his bones cracking as he settled into a stance. "Now… my turn."
Before Eleo could blink, Tony vanished.
Then—
CRACK!
A skeletal knee slammed into Eleo's gut. His eyes bulged, air escaping his lungs as he soared backward.
But before he could hit the ground—
WHAM!
Tony appeared behind him, delivering a spinning back kick to his side, sending him flying in the opposite direction.
Eleo tumbled through the air, but mid-spin, he twisted his body, righting himself just in time to see Tony already in front of him.
"H-How—?!"
Tony's bony fingers flicked Eleo's forehead.
BOP!
Eleo shot downward like a comet, slamming into the ground with a heavy thud. A cloud of dust erupted from the impact.
Lying flat on his back, Eleo groaned. "Okaaaay… ow."
Tony landed gracefully a few feet away, adjusting his monocle. "You've got heart, kid. But you rely too much on power."
Eleo sat up, coughing. "Oh yeah? Well, you rely too much on being a cheating skeleton ninja!"
Tony smirked. "Flattering. But this is just skill."
Eleo huffed. "Alright then. Round two—"
Suddenly, a deep rumbling echoed through the ground. Both fighters paused, looking around.
The trees in the distance shook.
A thunderous roar ripped through the night air.
Eleo's ears twitched. "Oh no."
Tony exhaled. "Oh dear."
From the jungle, something massive began to emerge…
The ground trembled beneath Eleo and Tony as the massive beast emerged from the jungle, its three monstrous heads snarling in unison. The lion's maw burned with fire, the goat's eyes gleamed with icy fury, and the snake tail hissed, venom dripping from its fangs.
Tony took a step back, straightening his suit. "Oh shit. It's back."
Eleo wiped his eyes and gawked at the towering creature. "Wait, back?! You've seen this thing before?!"
Tony nodded, adjusting his monocle. "Unfortunately."
The lion head let out a deafening roar, flames flickering between its sharp teeth.
Eleo swallowed hard. "Sooo, uh… what exactly is that thing?"
Tony sighed. "I have no idea. But what I do know is that it's extremely strong and ridiculously hard to kill."
Eleo tensed. "Great. Fantastic. Love that for us."
Without warning, the lion head lunged forward and unleashed a massive torrent of fire!
"MOVE!" Tony shouted.
Both he and Eleo dove in opposite directions just as the flames engulfed the spot where they had been standing. The heat was searing, the grass beneath them turning to ash in seconds.
Eleo tumbled and rolled, his fur slightly singed. "WHOA! That was close! This thing's seriously trying to roast us alive!"
Tony dusted off his suit. "Oh, it will if we're not careful."
Before Eleo could respond, the goat head suddenly jerked forward—
SHING!
Sharp ice shards erupted from its mouth, whistling through the air toward Tony.
Tony's eyes gleamed. CLACK! His skeletal hands moved blindingly fast as he swiped at the shards, shattering them midair before they could reach him. Fragments of ice rained around him, but he remained unharmed.
Tony exhaled, shaking his fingers. "Tsk, rude."
Eleo's ears twitched. "Uh, Tony? A little help over here—?!"
The snake tail snapped in Eleo's direction, its mouth opening wide.
SPSSHH!
A stream of venom shot forward like a bullet.
Before Eleo could react, the venom splattered across his face.
"GAH—WHAT THE—?!"
A sharp, burning sting exploded in his eyes. He stumbled back, clutching his face. "AHHHH! MY EYES! IT BURNS! WHY DOES IT BURN?!"
Tony grimaced. "Oh, that's unfortunate."
Eleo staggered blindly, rubbing his eyes furiously. "TONY, HELP! I CAN'T SEE!"
Tony sighed, stepping toward him. "Alright, alright. Hold still, you panicked bunny—"
The lion head let out another mighty roar, shaking the trees around them.
Tony froze.
The beast lowered its stance, its heads glaring directly at them.
Tony muttered under his breath. "…Well. Shit."
The beast lunged with terrifying speed, its lion claws crackling with electricity.
SLASH!
Tony barely had time to react before the electrified claws raked across his chest. A powerful shockwave surged through his skeletal body, causing him to spasm violently. "GAAH—!" His monocle flew off as he was sent hurtling backward, crashing into a boulder with a bone-rattling impact.
Before Eleo could even process what happened, the monster whipped around and slashed at him next.
SLASH!
A searing pain tore across his chest as the force of the attack sent him soaring through the air. He slammed into the ground and tumbled across the dirt before coming to a painful stop.
"Ghh...!" Eleo groaned, forcing himself up, his whole body aching. His vision swam, the venom still burning in his eyes. He could barely make out anything beyond blurry shapes and flickering lights.
"Okay… that's it!" he growled, rubbing his eyes before slamming his hands together. His ink surged around him, twisting and morphing as his arms reshaped into a massive cannon.
With a deep breath, Eleo yelled, "INK CANNON!"
A giant ball of inky energy blasted forward with tremendous force—
BOOM!
—And directly slammed into Tony, sending the skeleton flying back again.
"BWAAAH—!" Tony crashed into another rock, his bones rattling from the impact. He sat there, frozen for a moment, before his skull tilted down to look at himself, now covered in dripping black ink.
Eleo, still struggling to see, gasped. "Did I get the monster?!"
Tony slowly lifted his head, his jaw hanging open in disbelief.
Then, with a voice dripping in sarcasm, he muttered, "Oh yes, Eleo. You absolutely got the monster. Bullseye."
Eleo blinked rapidly, his blurry vision finally clearing just enough to see the inky, soaked skeleton glaring at him.
"...Oh," Eleo said. "Uh… whoops?"